British Dressage backtracks over changes to voting rights

British Dressage (BD) chairman Jennie Loriston-Clarke exercised her right at the organisation’s AGM on 7 June not to take a poll on proposed changes to the voting in of a BD chairman.
The change, if accepted, would eliminate BD members’ rights to nominate or vote for a chairman and instead allow the board of nine directors to nominate a candidate. BD chief executive David Holmes apologised last month after BD member Terry Wardle accused the organisation of trying to slip through a resolution that would remove members’ rights (news, 8 May).
But at the AGM, Mrs Loriston-Clarke granted a postal ballot to be sent to all members in the next issue of British Dressage magazine, in which the reasons for and against the change will be published.
BD deputy chief executive Jo Bagnall said: “Jennie wanted members to read the reasons behind the proposal and make an informed decision.”
Some 75% of votes will need to be in favour of the change for the resolution to pass, and Terry Wardle is confident it will fail.
“I had more than 50 proxy votes ready at the AGM [entitling him to vote for other members] after people saw the article in H&H,” said Mr Wardle. “A postal ballot is all I ever wanted.”